The Fallout

After the events of 2121, humans can no longer dwell on the radioactive surface of the Earth. Sequel to SCARLET BEAST and GENESIS. Continues in DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE.

Submitted: September 23, 2015

AAA
|
AAA

Submitted: September 23, 2015

AAA

AAA

Earth, 2200

“Mom… Mom! I can’t fall asleep.”

“Again?”

“Yeah… Can you tell me a story?”

“All right. Once upon a time, there was a powerful King…”

“What’s a king?”

“It’s like the Overseer, but even more important.”

“Okay.”

“That King lived in a beautiful palace high up in the blue sky.”

“What’s a palace? And how can the sky be blue? The sky is deep purple and sometimes
black.”

“Well, I heard that long time ago people used to live outside. Right on the surface. They
probably all lived in palaces. And they also say that the sky was blue at the time.”

“You can’t go outside without a radiation suit.”

“I know, sweetheart. It’s just a story.”

“So what happened to that King?”

“I’ll tell you if you stop interrupting me.”

“Sorry…”

“The King was very nice to his people. He gave them everything they ever needed, without wanting
anything in return. In fact, he was so nice that he told them they could do whatever they wanted.”

“Why?”

“Because he thought they would just trust him to always do the right
thing.”

“Oh… looks like he wasn’t too smart.”

“He was very smart. But he was even more generous and kind.”

“So what happened?”

“What happened is that the people decided to storm his palace, kick him out of there, and become
kings themselves.”

“Whoa! That’s so mean!”

“Indeed it is, my boy. The King tried reasoning with them, but to no avail. He tried to explain
to them they’d be much better off with him being their King and them being his people, but they wouldn’t listen. So he locked himself in the palace and stopped talking to them for a while, hoping
to give them some time to cool off.”

“Did they?”

“Not in the least. They quickly forgot all about the King and turned against each other. They
started torturing and killing each other. They began to destroy the land, burn up trees, exterminate entire species of animals. There was no end to the madness”.

“Mom, is that why we have to live in vaults now?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Anyway, the King was very, very sad. His heart was bleeding. He could not
watch all those cruelties and murder any longer, and there was no way to convince them to stop, so he let most people die, and only saved those who were not entirely mad.”

“Wow, harsh!”

“Yes, it is. In our world, sometimes even the nicest people are forced to do something harsh
when there is no other way.”

“Like when Dad beat me because I kept running outside without a protective
helmet?”

“Exactly like that, honey.”

“So what happened next?”

“Well, the King got really sad because he didn’t enjoy at all what he had to do. He loved his
people. So he chose a small group and made an agreement with them. He’d help them as much as he could, but in return they would have to do exactly what he says. You see, when people don’t follow
the laws of love, they can only follow orders.”

“Like when I threw stones at that little animal and didn’t feel sorry for him and then you were
mad at me and told me to do hard work and I cried and then I finally realized the animal was very poor and didn’t throw stones anymore?”

“Something like that. In any case, that seemed to work for a while, but then it got worse
again.”

“Why, those people stopped listening again?”

“No, they listened, and they mostly obeyed, but they did it out of fear, not out of love. I’m
not sure I can explain this to you, because you are probably too small to understand the difference. See, the King didn’t just want them to obey his orders. He wanted them to love him just like he
loved them. And he wanted them to love each other.”

“And they didn’t?”

“Not always. But at least they were not trying to reject the King any more. So the King thought
it was time to meet them. He left the palace and walked towards their town, looking like a regular man.”

“Just like that? Hmm, after everything that happened he should’ve taken some weapons with
him.”

“Oh, he had plenty of weapons. Remember, he was a very powerful King. But he didn’t want to
scare them. He wanted to convince them to love him, and that is pretty hard to do with weapons.”

“I see… So, did he convince them?”

“Some of them, yes. Even though he was wearing the simplest clothes and was looking like an
ordinary, poor man, some of the people recognized him.”

“How? Did he tell them?”

“Not directly. But sometimes you just know. I guess there was something King-like about
him.”

“Is this the end?”

“No… are you bored?”

“Not at all! So, everybody was happy and they finally made peace, right?”

“Unfortunately not. Some of the most powerful people in the land didn’t like the fact that man
was speaking like the King. They thought they had everything under their control, and they didn’t need anyone to interfere. In any case, they only knew a King who was ordering them from above, and
they certainly didn’t expect a poor guy who had no power at all. So, they caught him, beat him up, and killed him.”

“No!”

“That’s how the story goes.”

“This is the most unfair thing I’ve ever heard! How could they do this to the poor
King!”

“Well, to be fair, they didn’t know he was the King.”

“So what? You shouldn’t do such a terrible thing to anyone, King or not!”

“I agree with you, sweetheart. But sometimes people just don’t know what they are
doing.”

“So that’s it? The King died?”

“Yes, he did, but that’s not the end of the story. You see, when he died the people who loved
him most were very, very sad. They thought it was all a cruel joke. They couldn’t understand why the King wouldn’t defend himself, so they started thinking he wasn’t the King after all. But the
King knew what he was doing. He wanted people to know him and love him when he was poor and humiliated, even if he had to die to make people feel that way. If the people knew he loved them so much
he would willingly die to prove it to them they would be ashamed of their ways and start loving each other more.”

“What a sad story!”

“Wait, that’s not the end yet. The people were very sad and didn’t know what to think, but then
the King suddenly appeared in front of them, alive!”

“But that can’t be.”

“How do you know what can and what can’t be?”

“People don’t come back from the dead. Like, last week Uncle was eaten by a scorpion. He just
won’t come back, I know that.”

“Yes, usually it is so. But that is exactly what the King wanted. He wanted people to trust him
so much that they would believe this incredible thing really happened. How can I explain this to you? See, he didn’t want to be too convincing. He wanted people to love him freely and not because
they were powerless in the face of a miracle. But he still wanted to give them as much hope as he could without forcing them. He always let people make their own choices, but with trust and love,
because that’s the best way to learn.”

“Like when two weeks ago you got mad when I said I won’t brush my teeth because nobody can prove
me it’s really good for health, and then I started arguing, and then you just said do whatever you want, you’re a big boy now, I’m tired of explaining the same thing over and over again, if you
don’t trust me then you’ll just have to find out the hard way?”

“Almost like that, yes.”

“Wow… this story is okay, I guess. So, where did the King go afterwards?”

“Oh, he went back to his palace, and the story says he’s still there.”

“And the people?”

“The people? Well, those who really trusted the King did a lot of good things, though they also
had to suffer a lot. See, sometime later most people accepted the fact the King was there among them, but then they just returned to the old ways and even kept using his name to justify the bad
stuff they were doing. And then they started thinking again they did not really need the King. So they tried to figure out things on their own once again.”

“And then?”

“And then they kept rejecting and forgetting the King, and some of those who still remembered
and loved him left the land, while some others stayed but couldn’t save it. In the end, the beautiful land was almost completely destroyed by their own madness, and only very few people
survived.”

“And then?”

“And then I don’t know, sweetie, that’s how the story ends, or at least that’s the only part I
know. Maybe you’ll find out how to continue it when you grow up. Why don’t you try and sleep now?”

“I’m not sleepy… I don’t want to sleep!”

“Well, try your best. You can’t always do what you want.”

“Like those people who always did what they wanted… and ended up
destroyed?”

“Just like that.”

“Okay…”

“Sleep tight, honey.”

“Mom…”

“What?”

“You know, if this story is true… and if the King is still in his palace… then maybe one day
he’ll walk out again… and come to us again… and then I’ll run out… but I’ll wear the protective suit first, don’t worry… so I’ll run up to him… and jump up… and kiss him on both cheeks, just like I
kiss Dad… but I’ll need to remove the helmet for that, so I’d better let him into our vault first… and then I’ll tell him I love him… Do you think he would like that?”

“He certainly would, my baby.”

“Oh well… Good night then.”

“Good night. Sweet dreams, my little darling.”

“Mom?”

“What?”

“I think he will come. He will, Mom. I know it. Just wait and see. Okay?”

Comments

Thank you, Johnny! I'm glad you liked the story. I hope you can recommend it and read my other stories here on Booksie - they all take place in the same fictional future universe, and all have Christian themes.

What a beautiful story and a great perspective of the New Testament. The little boy's new faith will pave the way for the Messiah to return and save the souls of the innocent and just. What a sad world you excellently described but it is darkest before the dawn and this world you described is ripe for a return of the King of Kings! Great story telling.

AuthorReply

Comment | 54 words

Wed, November 11th, 2015 9:32pm

Thank you for your kind and soulful comment, Melanie! What else can I say but "Amen!" to everything you said above. I'm very happy you liked this story. Hope you can check out my other stories as well, they are all interconnected, with recurrent characters. I'm currently writing a direct prequel to "The Fallout"...

I seen your forum post on the lyrical Christian and I couldn't help but look at your stuff- this is so good! I love the idea of turning this into a bed time story, it was genius and I instantly could see that it represented Jesus/God and you did it in such a great way. I loved this part: “Not directly. But sometimes you just know. I guess there was something King-like about him”.Seems like a simple line but it touched my heart, well the whole thing did actually. It was already good enough but you added a sci-fi setting and it just made it even better and cooler. Great work!

AuthorReply

Comment | 83 words

Tue, December 22nd, 2015 7:31pm

Thank you so much for your kind comment! I'm so happy you liked that particular line, because, for some reason, I like it too!.. :-) The idea for this story came out of a project to write a book explaining Christianity in clear and simple terms, something like "Christianity for kids", where the emphasis would be on God's love to us. I was so excited by the idea that this story just came out, it was pretty much improvised and then written down.

That's what I was thinking while I was reading also; that this would be a great thing for kids to read to understand the holy spirit better. Very cool. I was just reading the first two books of the Narnia series and even though it was fiction, I could see how the author threw in some truth in there about the love of God or as the book calls Him "Aslan" and how in the book Aslan was killed and sacrificed himself for everyone and came back to life.

AuthorReply

Comment | 78 words

Wed, December 23rd, 2015 6:09pm

I'm so glad you are reading C.S. Lewis - amazingly, just five minutes ago I was re-reading his "Problem of Pain". I love his writings passionately, and indeed Narnia can teach children so many important truths about our world. I also think that the idea of Jesus as a lion in a magical world is really cool :) That inspired me to imagine Jesus in the shape of a dog in my short story "Of Dogs and Men"...

Great story! The boy was a little annoying though, which I kind of liked about the story. Good read Oleg!

AuthorReply

Comment | 58 words

Thu, December 31st, 2015 10:39am

Thank you for your comment! I think the boy is actually pretty smart :-) He is trying to understand his parents as well as God, noticing the similarities between them. He is curious, inquisitive, emotional, and has a strong sense of justice. We'll see this boy as an adult in another story of mine I haven't yet written.

I picked this one at random, from your works, Oleg and when I have time I shall read some more as this moving tale offers a superb allegory and develops, the narrative subtly from paragraph to paragraph. Nice work.
Regards
Chris

I immediately drew the comparison to the bible from the first couple paragraphs and couldn't stop reading. Even though I am Atheist I can appreciate a good work of art. This is an amazing way to tell an old story in a refreshing view.

AuthorReply

Comment | 20 words

Sat, February 20th, 2016 8:28pm

Thank you very much for your kind comment, Chris! I'm glad you liked this adaptation of the great story :-)

I'm agnostic and haven't read the bible or even the Quran, but I do have, at least, a rough idea of what Jesus did for the people from what I heard from my christian friends.

I love the artistic way you described it. I especially like the child's confidence that he'll be back. Although, it has the potential to create a much bigger impact by describing their reactions, motions, etc.

This should become a children's book. I bet all those christian parents or even the ones who aren't, would buy it. Good work!

AuthorReply

Comment | 31 words

Thu, March 3rd, 2016 8:30am

Thank you so much for your kind comment! I've always loved children literature and I think sometimes the truth can shine particularly brightly when expressed in a very simple, "childish" way...

I don't often see a story written entirely as dialogue. What a great way to get a story across. The story is easy to read - which is one of the things I like about your stories - and it is entertaining in its own right, regardless of the reader's religious beliefs. ~ Joe

AuthorReply

Comment | 87 words

Tue, April 26th, 2016 8:27pm

Thank you so much for your kind comment, Joe! Funny thing, I needed about two hours to completely make up this story in my mind, then I went home and just wrote it down. Some other stories I've written have eaten up weeks of my time, others I've been editing like crazy and am still not posting them because I don't like how they've turned out. This one was like a flash, yet I've gotten better feedback for it than anything I'd written before. I wonder why...

I feel this story started telling a beautiful beginning for all who care and love most loving God. You story tells me how much be our worth, we still are most loved. Like these days before us as a gift, I add something missing unwritten how the palace where the king lives will one day send us an invitation to be honored with very true respect of utmost kindness. May be this save us more than a promise but our king who still loves us more than our own self is the greatest sign of the love. You have well narrated this epic again. Let us live its conclusion like a living before this treasure our king have left here. Well done. :)

AuthorReply

Comment | 14 words

Sun, May 1st, 2016 11:45pm

Thank you so much for your kind comment! Totally agree with your plan! :-)

Wow. This is such a well written story. The description the mother gave to her son, comparing the king to an overseer was great. It's so hard to convey things to children outside their own experience.

AuthorReply

Comment | 42 words

Fri, May 6th, 2016 8:38pm

Thank you very much! Glad you liked that part. This story is all that is left from my project for a book explaining Christianity to kids. I've written down a lot of comparisons between Christian ideas and things understandable by any child...

Thank you for submitting your story to my contest, "Meaningful Short Stories", and I apologize for being late.
This is a very nice story. I had a picture in my mind of a warm family in midst of a cold vault. It made me want to learn more about the post-apocalyptic world you created.
I also liked the way that the mother narrated a familiar story, which later turned out to be one that I grew up with.
Thanks for letting me read this, and good luck!

AuthorReply

Comment | 49 words

Thu, May 19th, 2016 7:45pm

Thank you for your kind comment, Veronica! All mys short stories are interconnected, being set in the same futuristic universe. Another one set specifically on Earth after the nuclear war of 2121, in a Fallout-inspired post-apocalyptic environment, is "Down the Rabbit Hole", which tells the story of the boy's sister.

great story! Awesome how youve took from bethesda's Fallout, went a little deeper into it and created a post-apocalyptic bed time story. Like a narrative from characters we would never hear from otherwise.
Love how youve transformed the bed time story into something that could have happened in that universe, simplified through storytelling but made clear that it was a story about god and his people and why they were now living in faults.
Great work, am totally going to read the rest.

AuthorReply

Comment | 53 words

Wed, July 6th, 2016 6:19am

Thank you so much for your kind and detailed comment. I'm very glad you like this story. Its immediate predecessor in the timeline of my interconnected stories is "Scarlet Beast", while "Down the Rabbit Hole" occurs parallel to it (its protagonist is the boy's sister). Hope you'll like those stories as well :-)